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I really love Catavino – it’s such an informative and innovative source of information on Spanish & Portuguese wines. The food of the region is key, but it’s just as vital to know about the great wines available too. This is the place to find out!

Beira Baixa: Roads Less Traveled Part II

Editor’s Note: In Part II we continue our travels through the Beira Baixa, pairing two area reds with a regional duck dish.

I enjoy reading wine labels, but I can’t ever recall a time when one jerked a tear out of me. But two bottles of red from Quinta dos Termos in the Beira Baixa region of Central Portugal have managed to do just that. There may be more personalized wine labels out there, but I have yet to lay eyes on such heartfelt words on the back of any bottle. Realizing there will be nuances lost in translation, the label on the 2005 Tinto Reserva, reads “Though it may be drinkable as of now, with pleasure, it will improve greatly with time in the bottle, gaining the complexity of the grand wines of this region, still undiscovered by the Portuguese.” My emotion is also likely influenced by my gut that these aren’t words merely to describe a wine and its region, but almost an outcry from an area of the country that’s often overlooked. It’s also the region where most of my family comes from.

In Part I, we touched on the challenges the Beira Baixa faces as it remains somewhat of an anomaly to the rest of the country, let alone the world. We pressed the parallels between this overlooked region and its undiscovered wines, which are denominated Beira Interior D.O.C. encompassing the three sub-regions of Castelo Rodrigo, Cova da Beira and Pinhel. In Part II, we’re delving deeper into the two Quinta dos Termos bottles, one of which (Seleccao 2007) was the only Beira Interior wine named to Tom Cannavan’s 50 Great Wines of Portugal in London this summer. We’ll also be pairing them with a rustic regional dish.
The 2007 Seleccao is a blend of Trincadeira (Tinta Amarela in the Douro), Rufete, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain) and Tinta Cao.

As soon as it hit my lips, I understood why it made Cannavan’s list with a smooth body, fruitful, balanced tannins, interesting but not complicated. It’s a wine that today’s market would approve of, and despite originating in a “undiscovered” wine region, it certainly stands up to the most famed in Portugal. But it was the 2005 Tinto Reserva that entranced my tastebuds. Maybe because it tasted like I was truly discovering new flavors. In my case, it transported me back to the Beira Baixa with a mineral, salty quality I rarely find in a robust red. This might be attributed to the combo of the granite rich soils in the region and the higher percentage of local grapes in this particular blend. It’s a mix of the local Marufo grape (which has endless regional and national synonyms, but is most commonly used in the Pinhel wine region of the Beira Baixa). Also in the blend is the local Rufete varietal, successful in the region as well, along with the Dao wine region Jaen (from neighboring Beira Alta) and Trincadeira Preta that does well throughout Portugal in general. I haven’t had the chance to try any of their whites, but when their oenologist Virgilio Loureiro (see Part I) was interviewed by the RTP network’s wine show “Hora de Baco,” he shared his excitement about whites made from the Beira Baixa indigenous “Fonte Cal” varietal. Whites, he said, that have the potential for aging.

The two reds paired very nicely with the regional dish of “Pato a Moda da Beira Baixa” (duck and rice), which was baked in a ceramic pot I purchased at Tucha Gift Shop, a Portuguese store on Ferry Street in Newark, New Jersey. The ceramic pot authenticated the experience, harking back to rustic cooking in villages like those in the Beira Baixa. (Too bad I don’t have a wood-burning oven to make it close to complete.) Ceramic pots conserve and distribute heat more efficiently at a lower temperature. It’s also an excellent way to seal in moisture that keeps a tougher meat, like duck, tender. Beira Baixa cuisine is heavily based on gamey meats and river fish. It’s common to find wild boar and squab on the menu, as well as elaborate recipes prepared using locally-raised lamb, goat, duck and rabbit. The baked dishes are by far my favorite (see duck recipe below). One of the more laborious recipes is the “Cabrito Estonado a Moda de Oleiros.” It’s also one of those “gastronomical one-of-a-kinds” I allude to in Part I. It requires submerging a young goat in boiling water, and peeling its coat as it softens without ripping the skin. Then the innards are removed through a small puncture and it’s left to dry overnight. It’s then seasoned and placed in the oven. The result is crackling crispy skin like that of the famous “Leitao a Moda da Bairrada” (roasted suckling pig from the Beira Litoral). There are also the hearty soups, ideal meals during the harsh winters, which have been perfected and marked with the “sugerelha” herb commonly used in this area. There’s even a soup festival in the village of Proenca-a-Velha, and next month there are several mushroom festivals. The festival in the village of Alcaide, in the county of Fundao, offers workshops and a bevy of other mushroom-related activities. A must-try is the Miscaros (a type of mushroom) with eggs and “Farinheira,” a wheat flour, pork fat and seasonings (like paprika) sausage. The historic Bed and Breakfast in Belmonte housed in an old convent, dedicates part of its menu to local mushrooms with inventive recipes like the mushroom cappuccino.

The production of smoked sausages like the Farinheira (for commercial and home consumption) is also customary, following the annual “Matanca do Porco” (the killing of the pig) at the start of winter. In addition to the cheese from Serra da Estrela, there’s also the Castelo Branco cheese, the Amarelo da Beira Baixa and the Picante. Though it’s not uncommon to find Serra da Estrela cheese in America, it’s tougher to come across other Beira Baixa cheeses. (Check out Catavino’s Portuguese cheese report here) But try Murray’s in New York City, which sells the Amarelo da Beira Baixa that in 2009 was named the best cheese in the world (yes, the world) in a blind tasting held in the Big Apple. When in the Beira Baixa, you can learn more about the area’s cheese at the Cheese Museum in Covilha, which is also home to the University of the Beira Interior. Another treasure is the olive oil. The most recognized olive oil in Portugal and among the diaspora around the globe is generally from Tras-os-Montes, Ribatejo or Alentejo, but the olive oil of the Beira Baixa is also one of the DOP (protected origin stamp) olive oil-producing regions of the country, mostly using the “Galega” olive. In Belmonte, folks can visit the Olive Oil Museum.

Though there’s much more to explore in the Beira Baixa, such as the “most Portuguese village of the country” Monsanto, and its geo-restaurant “Petiscos & Granitos,” I wrap up our travels where we began in Belmonte at Quinta dos Termos with gratitude for the high-quality wines they’re producing, which serve not only to compete in the wine market but also to help put Beira Baixa on the map. It’s a brave new world for both the region’s wine producers, as well as, the pioneering families making the Beira Baixa their new home.

Note: Share with us your favorite Beira Interior D.O.C. wine. And to those in the U.S., have you gotten your hands on any here? If so, tell us where.

PREPARATION
Dice the onions and mince the garlic and add both to a large pot (big enough to fit the duck) with the olive oil and the pancetta cut in to strips. Once all ingredients are golden, place the duck on top of them (either whole or cut into four parts) and add salt to taste. Sear the duck on both sides without charring. Remove the duck and set aside. Add water (about enough to cover the duck since you’ll eventually place it back in the pot) and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling add the duck and the chourico (reserve some chourico slices to top the dish). Let it boil again until the duck is cooked (about 20-30 minutes). Remove the duck and set aside. Sieve the broth; remove any extra fat and reserve. Save the onion, garlic, pancetta and the chourico for use later and bring the broth to a boil again. Add the lemon juice and the rice when it begins to boil. After it boils simmer until rice is cooked. While the rice is cooking puree the reserved onion, garlic, pancetta and chourico and set aside (Though in most recipes these ingredients are discarded, my mother’s tip is to puree them to add an extra layer of flavor. It works beautifully.) Then break the meat of the duck off the bones and shred it (not too thinly) and set aside. Once the rice is cooked add a layer of it on the bottom of the ceramic pot (or any bake safe tray) and then add a layer of duck and one of the pureed ingredients. Keep doing that until you run out of ingredients. Finish it off with a few slices of chourico and place in a preheated oven (475 degrees or depending on your oven and then bake for 20-30 minutes at about 375 or 400 degrees). Fifteen minutes before removing the dish from the oven, beat three egg yolks to cover the top of the dish (another of mom’s tips) and put back in the oven for the remainder of the time. Remove and finish with freshly cracked black pepper and parsley.

Another great article Sonia! The wine sounds fantastic and all that delicious Portuguse countryside food you described is making my mouth water!! I really hope I manage to get out there soon to visit because I’m dying to go now after your reading your two posts!

http://twitter.com/reddishSonia Sonia Nolasco

Thank you Andrea!!!!! I’m sure you’ll make your way out there at some point. Again, I’m happy to help with any questions

Sonia Nolasco

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Sonia grew up in New Jersey’s Ironbound-Newark community where a vibrant Portuguese immigrant enclave exists. Sonia's passion for Portugal and its food and wine eventually led her to Catavino. Her very personal, long-term goal is to continue finding ways to help promote Portugal’s Beira Baixa region, its gastronomy and wine. It is the region where Bemposta do Campo is located. The sleepy, rural village where Sonia spent summers playing as her grandparents farmed and produced their homemade foods—including wine.

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Catavino evolved from the wanderings of an American couple who craved a radical change in perspective.In 2005 they quit their jobs, moved to Spain and dug deep into the local gastronomy. As time passed, they expanded their focus to include Portugal, whereby sharing the heart and soul of Iberian food, wine and culture. We invite you to follow our adventures via our blog or, for those who'd like to experience Spanish and Portuguese gastronomy themselves, we'd like to offer you our firsthand tips on travel and our expertise in organizing food and wine tasting tours.